If I were ever surprised in my life it was yesterday when your letter was read to the Church. The exceeding kind mention of my name was more than I was prepared for. You expressed As Written: expessed love in words but that was not all. I saw it between the lines. I shall never forget that letter. If I had deserved it all, it would have been all right. The reason why I wired you in the morning was that I thought possibly you had been misinformed as to who was PresidentEditorial Note: Bates' confusion may have been because Mary Baker Eddy had written him on September 30th (See L08185) that she had "telegraphed [Joseph] Armstrong to have the present President of the Church re-elected." Ebenezer J. Foster Eddy had been elected on October 1, 1894 to serve as president for a year, however on May 4, 1895 (See 001CP1.01.020) it was voted that Bates was to serve as president starting immediately. Bates was re-elected at the annual meeting of The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, Massachusetts, on October 1, 1895., and wished to make no mistake, your return telegramEditorial Note: See L01143. settled the question. I had no idea that I was to act in that capacity - but at your request I accepted it - believing it to be right.
| Accession: | 019C.09.037 |
| Editorial Title: | Edward P. Bates to Mary Baker Eddy, October 2, 1895 |
| Author: | Edward P. Bates |
| Recipient: | Mary Baker Eddy |
| Date: | October 2, 1895 |
Final Edits
Original Document
Copied document link to clipboard.
Copied document link to clipboard.
If I were ever surprised in my life it was yesterday when your letter was read to the cChurch. The exceeding kind mention of my name was more than I was prepared for. You expessed Corrected: expressed l [?] Unclear or illegible ove in words but that was not all. I saw it between the lines. I shall never forget that letter. If I had deserved it all, it would have been all right. The reason why I wired you in the morning was that I thought possibly you had been misinformed as to who was PresidentEditorial Note: Bates' confusion may have been because Mary Baker Eddy had written him on September 30th (See L08185) that she had "telegraphed [Joseph] Armstrong to have the present President of the Church re-elected." Ebenezer J. Foster Eddy had been elected on October 1, 1894 to serve as president for a year, however on May 4, 1895 (See 001CP1.01.020) it was voted that Bates was to serve as president starting immediately. Bates was re-elected at the annual meeting of The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, Massachusetts, on October 1, 1895., and wished to make no mistake, your return telegramEditorial Note: See L01143. settled the question. I had no idea that I was to act in that capacity - but at your request I accepted it - believing it to be right.